Gale Anne Hurd joined panel on Georgia being Hollywood South
The Walking Dead Executive Producer Gale Anne Hurd joined a panel discussion discussing “Hollywood South: The new $9.5 Billion Georgia Industry” on February 26, 2018.
“The joy of the film industry is that it’s a team sport. If you like working with a team there IS no better industry than the Film and Television Industry because you survive or fail based on the team that you have.” ~ Gale Anne Hurd
On February 26, 2018, the University of Georgia held a Panel discussion focused on “Hollywood South: The new $9.5 Billion Georgia Industry”. The panelists included the incomparable Gale A. Hurd (Executive Producer, AMC’s The Walking Dead), Jeffrey Stepakoff (Executive Director, Georgia Film Academy), Will Packer (Executive Producer of Girls Trip), and Lee Thomas (Deputy Commissioner of Film, Music and Digital Entertainment, Georgia Department of Economic Development).
Georgia has become one of the go-to places for companies to film feature productions. With the awesome tax breaks and talent pool of workers that are trained and ready to work, it has become one of the top destinations for television shows and movies to be made.
Gale admits that she chooses to film in Georgia because of the fantastic crews and fantastic actors. She spoke highly of the number of actors she can hire locally for AMC’s The Walking Dead and her current project “Hellfest.”
With the enormous tax incentives that are given in Georgia, Gale admits that California continues to lose out on funding and projects that are now choosing to film in Georgia
Gale is a graduate of Stanford University with a degree in Economics and Communications. She originally started within the Foreign Studies program that landed her in England studying Economics, Film and Broadcasting. Impressed with what she was learning in her Film classes she remembers saying “Oh My God you can take classes in this, Fantastic!”
To complete her Communications major with only two years remaining to graduate, she would have to take three courses from Steven Kovacs. Kovacs ultimately shaped Gale’s future as a producer. She disputes people who state college cannot be where your career starts. They’re wrong.
Her professor of Film (Kovacs) was hired by Rodger Corman, who has been referred to as “The Pope of Pop Cinema.” He has started the careers of individuals like Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard, and Gale A. Hurd to name a few.
Gale was granted an interview with Corman due to her connection with Kovacs. During her interview with Corman she was asked what she wanted to do in the film industry. From the moment she uttered the words “Producer, I want to Produce” Admitting she didn’t know exactly what the job involved but she stuck with it. After three years of working for Corman, she begins producing. It was all about having the right mentor.
Gale’s blockbuster movie Terminator was a hard sell in Hollywood at the time. She stated she knocked on 99 doors and it wasn’t until the 100th door that she received a yes.
Upcoming Projects
Her past successes in the horror genre make it easier for her to produce a film or a series in that area versus something else. She used Kickstarter to appeal to AMC’s The Walking Dead fans to help fund a film documentary project. Thanks to the fans the campaign was fully funded.
Gale Anne Hurd and Valerie Red-Horse Mohl have teamed up to produce a documentary on PBS entitled “Mankiller”. It’s the story of an American legend, Wilma Mankiller, who overcame rampant sexism and personal challenges to emerge as the Cherokee Nation’s first woman Principal Chief in 1985.
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Commitment
Gale encouraged the students of UGA to consider interning in the Film industry. There are several interns on the set of AMC’s The Walking Dead learning new skill sets. They are paid to continue to work here in Georgia once the internship ends. Gale shared, that the jobs in this industry pay very well. Due to the amount of work here in Georgia, an individual could potentially work 12 months a year.
Before she committed to AMC’s The Walking Dead or any project she had to be willing to give up part of her time, energy and life for it. Producing is not a 9-5 job. She is in production 50 weeks a year. The two weeks she has off for Christmas, she is still reading the potential material, watching cuts and giving notes.
“If you want to make some money and don’t want to give that type of commitment, this is not the career for you. It does not stop. When the going gets tough, the going gets tough”
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Her love of hiking and desire of finding a warm place during times of snow allowed for a little relaxing conversation with Gale, who is an absolute pleasure to speak with while strolling the UGA campus. Gale Hurd continues to prove that hard work and perseverance will take you beyond anything you could ever imagine.